Police red-faced after ‘alco’ gaffe

POLICE officers working to defuse disputes involving Australian Aborigines have been left red-faced after receiving a consignment of uniforms which labelled them ‘alcos’ - Aussie slang for alcoholics.

In a sobering lesson to always inspect goods before accepting them, the New South Wales police force took delivery of 50 lime green vests with ALCO emblazoned on them instead of ACLO, an abbreviation for Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers, The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported yesterday.

The original purchase order was spelled correctly, but somehow the manufacturers jumbled the words up.